Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Black Mountain, Nevada 89124
Wednesday, December 7, 1983 12:29 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE HELICOPTER TOOKOFF ON AN AIR AMBULANCE FLT AT ABOUT 1219 PST. ACCORDING TO TOWER PERSONNEL, THE DEPARTURE APPEARED NORMAL. RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED AT 1227 & THERE WAS NO FURTHER RADIO CONTACT WITH THE HELICOPTER. LATER, THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND WHERE IT HAD CRASH LANDED ON STEEP MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, ROLLED OVER & BURNED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED AN OPEN LOGBOOK ENTRY THAT THE #1 TORQUE TRANSMITTER WAS INOP. A PERSON NEAR THE DEPARTURE POINT NOTICED THE L ENG COWLING WAS LOOSE. A SHORT TIME LATER, A 3' X 4' PIECE OF ENG COWLING WAS OBSERVED TO FALL FROM THE HELICOPTER. THERE WAS NO INDICATION IN THE AIRCREW'S RADIO TRANSMISSIONS THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE COWLING PROBLEM. AN EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE COWLING STANDOUT TUBE FOR THE L ENG HAD RUBBED AGAINST THE FREE WHEELING TURBINE GOVERNOR CABLE. AEROSPATIALE PSNL SAID THIS COULD DECREASE FUEL FLOW TO THE L ENG; AT HI POWER, THE R ENG GOVERNOR WOULD THEN INCREASE ITS FUEL FLOW & EXCEED LIMITS UNLESS PLT COMPENSATED. R FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS FOUND NEAR ITS CLOSED POSITION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/7/1983
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1229
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City BLACK MOUNTAIN
Event State NEVADA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 89124
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1949 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID LAS
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 75
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2920
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 23238
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:16AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N57901
NTSB Number LAX84FA095
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire In-flight
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name AEROSPATIALE
Aircraft Model AS 355F
Aircraft Series Identifier AS 355F
Aircraft Serial Number AS-355F
Certified Max Gross Weight 5070
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 3
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 6 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2
Airframe Hours 961
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RTS HELICOPTER SERVICE CORP.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 39 BROADWAY
Aircraft Owner City NEW YORK
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10006
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CRAIG HUNTINGTON
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P O BOX 1083
Operator City PROVO
Operator State UT
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 84603
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code NV53
Departure City LAS VEGAS
Departure State NV
Departure Country
Departure Time 1219
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City NEEDLES
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight Yes
Medical Flight --